Two hikers were rescued from the shore of the Normans Kill Wednesday after one slipped and the other got "very wet" trying to help him, Albany Fire Chief Robert Forezzi said.

The call came in shortly after 4 p.m. from someone on the Bethlehem side of the creek. They heard shouts of help from the two men on the Albany side. Forezzi said a group of Albany firefighters had to trek about a mile and a half to the shore — a steep traverse through woods, ice and deep snow. Rather than send any more personnel in that way, fire officials decided to approach the site from the Bethlehem side of the creek, he said.

They used ropes and a pulley and a Zodiac boat, and brought two hikers into the boat — over a swift current — with two firefighters.

Neither victim was seriously hurt, though one had a leg injury and both spent about three hours in the chilling temperatures. Their names were unavailable. No rescuers were hurt.

"It was a technical rescue," Forezzi said. "Which means you had to have the right equipment and you had to have the right training. It was very methodical."

And it was cold and then became dark. "It was hairy for a couple of minutes," he said.